Palestinian leaders on Tuesday threatened to renew their diplomatic push at the United Nations if Israel fails to free Arab prisoners as scheduled this weekend. When US-sponsored Israeli-Palestinian peace resumed in July, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas agreed that for their nine-month duration he would shelve efforts to use the UN's November 2012 recognition of Palestine as a non-member observer to press for membership in international bodies where it could fight Israeli occupation. In exchange for the diplomatic ceasefire Israel was to release 104 Arabs imprisoned since before the 1993 Oslo peace accords between the sides. It has so far freed 78 with the final batch due for release on March 29. "We shall turn to the UN's international organisations if Israel does not release the fourth and final group of prisoners," said Yasser Abed Rabbo, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organisation's executive committee. "The release of the prisoners is in return for the freeze on seeking membership in international organisations," he told official Voice of Palestine radio. Israel wants the so-far inconclusive peace talks extended beyond their April 29 deadline and ministers have warned that should the Palestinians refuse, the remaining prisoners will not be freed. "If Israel were to refuse to free the fourth batch it would have serious consequences, including initiatives at the United Nations," former Palestinian negotiator Mohammed Shtayeh, said in a statement. Israel particularly objects to the Palestinians' demand for Arab Israelis or Palestinian residents of Israeli-annexed east Jerusalem convicted of militant acts to be included in the release, even though both groups were included in a 2011 swap of 1,027 Arab prisoners for captive soldier Gilad Shalit. A senior Palestinian official told AFP on the condition of anonymity that in recent talks with US special envoy Martin Indyk, Abbas warned that if the April 29 talks deadline was not met "Israel would be in violation of agreements and (the Palestinians) would have the right to turn to the UN and to take any measures it deems necessary."

Israeli media outlets report that Israel is planning to exclude Palestinian prisoners of lands occupied in 1948 from the list of the fourth and final group of pre-Oslo prisoners, scheduled for release at the end of March.

Qadura Fares, President of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society, has said that if this happens, the negotiations will stop and that Palestinians will appeal to United Nations institutions.

Fares considered any delay or shirking, by Israel, a blatant violation of understandings, adding that this is totally rejected.

Fares told the PNN that the United States bears full responsibility, should Israel fail to adhere to the timetable of the prisoners' release.

Israeli Labor Party presented a proposal to the Israeli Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu provided the replacement of the fourth patch of Palestinian prisoners release with settlement freeze. Both MKs Ahilalk Bar and Omaeir Bar introduced the suggestion on on behalf of the party, demanding the settlement freeze during negotiations.

The Israeli government took the wrong option previously because freezing settlement is less dangerous as the release of prisoners carry many security risks, according to the proposal.

Signatories of the proposal said, “the settlement freeze will receive support from the right wing, claiming that relieving the suffering of the Israeli bereaved families and saving the people’s life is more important than settlement construction.”

Journalist Ofer Shelah, member of Yesh Atid Party, suggested such a proposal recently in a meeting with a group of students.

Some Likude ministers threatened to resign if the Israeli government released the fourth patch of prisoners, in an attempt to dissuade Netanyahu from the idea.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has agreed to extend peace talks with Israel, if certain conditions are met, a Palestinian official said on Monday.

The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Ma'an News Agency that Abbas agreed, during a recent meeting with US President Barack Obama, to extend peace negotiations if Israel pledged to freeze settlement construction and release more prisoners.

So far, 78 of 104 Palestinian veteran prisoners have been freed in three groups, with the final 26 to be released on March 29. However, recent statements by Israeli officials have cast doubt on whether the prisoners would be released on time, if at all.

The official said that if Israel delayed the release of the last group of pre-Oslo prisoners, the Palestinian Authority would immediately take the case to international organizations.

Peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians were relaunched in July under the auspices of the US after nearly three years of impasse.

Israel's government has announced the construction of thousands of settler housing units and its army has killed 60 Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza, since the negotiations began.

Palestinians carry the body of Arafat Jaradat, likely died under torture in Israel prison, during his funeral in the West Bank village of Saeer

An European Union parliamentary delegation on Thursday urged Israel to release long-term Palestinian prisoners. "We believe that the release of prisoners... is central to the peace process," said Emer Costello, who headed the EU delegation on a three-day fact-finding mission on Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

The visit of four EU MPs came as Israel was mulling whether or not to release a final batch of long-term Palestinian prisoners under its commitments to US-brokered peace talks.

Israel agreed to release a total of 104 prisoners when talks kick-started by US Secretary of State John Kerry began in July.

It has freed 78 so far, but Israeli ministers have implicitly warned that should the Palestinians not agree to extend talks beyond their April 29 deadline, they will not release the remaining inmates as scheduled on March 29.

"We would certainly hope that those prisoner releases would continue and would take place. It is important as well that there are people in custody who are actually pre-Oslo," Costello said, referring to inmates who were supposed to be released under the 1993 Oslo peace accords.

"From the EU parliament's perspective... we (have) expressed major concern about the fact that there are currently 11 members of the PLC (Palestinian parliament) being held in custody... We would be seeking their release," she added.

Costello said Israel had barred the delegation from visiting the prisons, confining the trip to meetings with Israeli MPs and local rights groups.

Israel holds more than 5,000 Palestinians in its prisons, most of them on security grounds. Around 150 of these are held under administrative detention, without charge or trial, and another 150 are minors.

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas demanded in talks with US President Barack Obama that Israel free key Palestinian prisoners, including Marwan Barghuti, a Palestinian official said Thursday.

Earlier this month, Abbas said Palestinians will not agree to extend peace talks with Israel beyond their April 29 deadline without Israel releasing more prisoners beyond the fourth and final tranche planned for later this month.

During his meeting with Obama in Washington on Monday, "President Abbas demanded the release of more prisoners and Palestinian leaders in Israeli jails, like Saadat and Barghuti and Shubaki," manager of the Palestinian prisoner club Abdulal al-Anani told the official Voice of Palestine radio.

He was referring to Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine leader Ahmad Saadat, former Palestinian Liberation Organization finance official Fuad Shubaki and Marwan Barghuti, one of the main architects of the 2000 intifada.

Also on Thursday, an EU parliamentary delegation urged Israel to release long-term Palestinian prisoners, saying it was crucial to move a fragile Middle East peace process forward.

"We believe that the release of prisoners... is central to the peace process," said Emer Costello, who headed the EU delegation on a three-day fact-finding mission on Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails.

The visit of four EU MPs came as Israel was mulling whether or not to release a final batch of long-term Palestinian prisoners under its commitments to US-brokered peace talks.

Israel agreed to release a total of 104 prisoners when talks kick-started by US Secretary of State John Kerry began in July.

It has freed 78 so far, but Israeli ministers have warned that should the Palestinians not agree to extend talks beyond their April 29 deadline, they will not release the remaining inmates as scheduled on March 29.

"We would certainly hope that those prisoner releases would continue and would take place. It is important as well that there are people in custody who are actually pre-Oslo," Costello said, referring to inmates who were supposed to be released under the 1993 Oslo peace accords.

Costello said Israel had barred the delegation from visiting the prisons, confining the trip to meetings with Israeli MPs and local rights groups.

Israel holds more than 5,000 Palestinians in its prisons, most of them on security grounds. Around 150 of these are held under administrative detention, without charge or trial, and another 150 are minors.

The release of 78 long-term Palestinian prisoners since July has been welcomed by Abbas and by the public, especially jubilant families of the inmates, who saw their internment as political.

But it has angered bereaved Israeli families, whose relatives were killed at the hands of some of those released.

Peace talks relaunched last July have made next to no progress, marred by bitter disputes over core issues, and Washington is fighting an uphill battle to get agreement on a framework proposal that would extend the process to the year's end.

A day after the Israeli government announced a delay in the promised release of 30 long-term Palestinian prisoners, Israeli Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon threatened, on Wednesday, to resign from his position if the release is carried out – a move which his critics claim is a political maneuver and not an actual threat.

The group of thirty, all of whom have been imprisoned for over twenty years, are the third group of 104 prisoners promised their freedom under a deal negotiated between the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority, based in the West Bank.

The other two groups have already been released. However, although the third group is scheduled to be released on March 28th, an Israeli government official claimed on Tuesday that the release of prisoners may be delayed, due to a lack of progress in the so-called 'peace negotiations' led by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

Tuesday's statement by Israeli Economy Minister Naftali Bennett was announced on Israeli Army radio. Palestinian negotiator Issa Qaraqe said that any such delay would be considered 'political blackmail' by the Israeli government against the Palestinians.

On Wednesday, a day after Bennett's claim of a potential delay, Deputy Defense Minister Danny Danon made his threat, claiming that he would resign if the final group of prisoners was released. Danon stated, “I will not be part of this executive branch if it will condone and take further steps toward releasing prisoners … the day that the next Palestinian murderer takes his first steps out of jail, I will send a resignation letter, effectively stepping down from my position as deputy defense minister of Israel.”

The statements by both ministers come in the midst of a political fissure in the coalition of parties which make up Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's government. Naftali Bennett is the leader of the religious right party 'Jewish Home', which boycotted a session of the Israeli legislature on Wednesday, in protest of a bill pushed by Netanyahu regarding conversions to Judaism.

Danon is a member of the right-wing faction of the Likud party, which will be holding its annual party summit three days after the planned prisoner release. At the summit, Danon will be debating Netanyahu and likely proposing a plan to split the Likud party.

"In order to advance serious negotiations, we will all need to take decisions and prove we are determined to reach an agreement and real peace. That burden of proof is also on the Palestinians' shoulders," she was quoted on her Facebook page as saying.

"Accordingly, we will examine the issue of the prisoners, meaning that the key to the cells of the Palestinian prisoners is also to be found in the hands of Abu Mazen (Abbas) and the decisions he will take in the coming days."

Livni's remarks came after Israeli officials suggested the release might not go ahead unless the Palestinians agree to extend talks beyond a looming April 29 deadline.

Livni denied she was trying to finger point, but said she was raising the issue "before decisions are taken" as the two sides mull whether to move into a second phase of US-led negotiations.

So far, 78 of 104 veteran Palestinian prisoners have been freed in three tranches, with the final group due to be released on March 29, pending approval by the Israeli cabinet.

But senior officials, quoted by the Makor Rishon daily's diplomatic correspondent on Twitter, said that "without an explicit commitment by Abu Mazen to extend the talks, there will not be a fourth wave" of releases.

Peace talks relaunched last July have made next to no progress, marred by bitter disputes over core issues, and Washington is fighting an uphill battle to get agreement on a framework proposal that would extend the process to the year's end.

Earlier, a senior cabinet minister also cast doubt on the planned prisoner release, and said if it did go ahead, it would not include any Arab Israelis jailed for nationalist attacks.

"The (original) decision said (the release) should be dependent on progress in the negotiations and now it is clear to everyone that there has been no progress," Economy Minister Naftali Bennett told army radio.

Bennett, an outspoken hardliner who opposes a Palestinian state, also said Israel had never promised to free Palestinian citizens of Israel.

The Palestinians have reportedly named 14 Palestinian-Israelis they want freed, but all names must be approved by Israel.

"The government of Israel never took any decision to release Israeli prisoners," Bennett said, describing such an idea as "delusional."

Bennett also accused Abbas of staying in the talks purely to ensure another 26 prisoners were freed.

His remarks were made a day after Abbas told US President Barack Obama that releasing the prisoners would be a good step to demonstrate Israel's seriousness about the peace process.

Suggestions that Israel may not follow through with the release have further exacerbated tensions, with Washington working hard behind the scenes to head off a crisis that could deal a death blow to the fragile dialogue between the sides.

Jewish Home leader Naftali Bennett (L) with fellow MK Mordechi Yogev during a party meeting

The pledge to free 26 Palestinian prisoners this month will definitely not include Arab Israelis and may not even take place at all, an Israeli minister told army radio. Economy minister Naftali Bennett, an outspoken hardliner who opposes a Palestinian state, said Israel's pledge to release them was unlikely to happen because there had been no move in the US-led peace process.

And if it did, the government would never agree to release Arab Israeli citizens jailed for nationalist attacks, he said.

The Palestinians have reportedly named 14 Arab Israelis they want freed, but all names must be approved by the Israeli government.

His remarks were made a day after Abbas told US President Barack Obama that releasing the prisoners would be a good step to demonstrate Israel's seriousness about the peace process.

Qadura Fares, head of the Ramallah-based Prisoner's Club, said the upcoming release was crucial.

"The Palestinians are adamant on this point. The prisoners must be released on time," he told Voice of Palestine radio.

As part of a goodwill gesture to the Palestinian negotiators, the Israeli occupation has released so far 78 out of 104 veteran Palestinian prisoners in two separate batches in August and October 2013, with the final group due to be released on March 29.

The so-called peace talks between the PA and the Israeli occupation resumed in July 2013 after a 3-year-long stalemate conditioned that a final-status resolution to the Israeli-Arab conflict be reached within nine months.

Releasing the fourth patch of Palestinian prisoners, which includes Palestinians from pre-1948 Palestine – occupied territories, considered a turning point in the future of negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, Maarive newspaper reported Thursday morning. The newspaper quoted from reliable source that the prisoners are scheduled to be released at the end of next March if the Palestinian Authority accepts to sign the framework agreement (Kerry’s plan). Israeli PM Benyamin Netanyahu did not promise to release those prisoners, neither the American side agreed on such a vow , the sources said. Netanyahu vowed to bring up the issue to the cabinet for voting, the newspaper said, adding that there are doubts about the Netanyahu’s ability to enlist the majority required to pass such resolution in the Israeli government because most of the Likud ministers declared they will oppose it. It is believed that The Palestinian Authority insisted on the release of pr-1948 Palestinian prisoners . Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will cancel the talks in case Israel refused their release which is subjected to the consent of the two parties.

Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu announced Tuesday morning that his government is scheduled to discuss the release of the fourth batch of Palestinian detainees as part of Israeli-Palestinian talks.

Netnayahu's declaration came after receiving a new letter through the lawyers of the parents of the Israeli soldier Moshe Tamam, who was “kidnapped and murdered by Palestinian cell from the Green Line before Oslo Accords”, according to Hebrew media claims.

The letter asked Netanyahu to "prevent the release of the soldier's murderers, members of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and respond to the unanswered requests to this end from both the Palestinian Authority and the US State Department," the Israeli Seventh Channel added.

The lawyer expressed wish not to approve the release of Palestinian detainees from the Green Line, saying that they are still affiliated to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.The release of Palestinian detainees from the Green Line has been postponed for the last batch that is scheduled to take place next March.